Taylor Smith | Meetings Today

Read More Articles by Taylor Smith

Taylor Smith serves as content manager, destinations for Meetings Today, where she leads coverage of global meetings destinations as well as the production of the biannual online magazine Incentives Today. She is also author of “The Z: Planning for the Industry’s Next Generation,” an award-winning column examining how Gen Z is influencing the future of meetings, events and workplace culture.

Recognized as one of Eventex’s 100 Most Influential People in the Events Industry (2024) and 50 Most Influential People in the U.S. & Canada (2025), Smith has quickly established herself as a leading voice on emerging generational shifts. In 2026, The Z earned a national Azbee Award from the American Society of Business Publication Editors and was recognized as one of the best regular print departments in B2B journalism across the country.

In addition to her editorial work for the FOLIO: Eddies Award-winning magazine, Smith is co-host of Meetings Today’s Eventualists podcast, shedding light on the unspoken realities of a career in the events industry through authentic, raw conversations. She is also a frequent speaker, taking the stage at shows including IMEX America, MPI’s World Education Congress and SITE Global, and often appears on prominent industry podcasts and webinars.

Based just outside Chicago, Smith brings both professional insight and personal curiosity to her reporting, driven by a passion for the “people-people” nature of the meetings industry.

Read More Articles by Hannah Elston

A dedicated senior manager of partnerships, marketing and communications with Event Leaders Exchange (ELX)—an exclusive community for senior corporate event leaders from the world’s most influential brands—Hannah Elston has immersed herself in the dynamic landscape of event marketing since 2021. A passionate advocate for the next generation of event professionals, she uses her voice to champion mentorship and career development within the business events industry. As a 2025 graduate of the Fast Forward 15 Mentorship Program, Elston is committed to empowering future leaders and bridging the gap between emerging talent and senior industry professionals.

The Unwritten Rules of Career Progression in Events & Taking Accountability for Your Own Professional Advancement

In this episode of Eventualists, co-hosts Taylor Smith and Hannah Elston are joined by Maiya Dambawinna, event producer at Make Events, to lay out the unwritten rules that shape career progression in the events industry and remind listeners that there is no set timeline to follow. Just because someone else is getting ahead doesn’t mean you’re falling behind.

The Z: Why Young-Professional Awards Programs Matter and Existing Programs to Take Advantage of

From increasing employee retention to attracting next-gen talent to rewriting the industry narrative, emerging leader awards and recognition programs are a win-win for everyone involved, including the wider meetings and events industry.

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Blue Delta Jeans Offers the Best of Bespoke Corporate Gifting Experiences

Here’s how Blue Delta Jeans goes above and beyond to provide a high-touch, high-end, personalized gifting experience like no other, proving that “jeans do come true.”

5 Outdoor Venues for Memorable Meetings in Coastal Mexico

In coastal destinations across Mexico from the Caribbean to the Pacific, the most memorable meetings aren’t happening inside. They’re unfolding in whimsical garden courtyards, set along secluded white-sand shorelines or taking place atop terraces with uninterrupted ocean views.

Why So Many Event Professionals Burn Out and Don’t Talk About It

Tune in to listen as the Eventualists co-hosts talk to ELX Head of Content Chloe Richardson about how burnout develops, why it often goes unnoticed until it becomes overwhelming and what both individuals and industry leaders can do to build healthier, more sustainable careers in events.